Aliya is in a webcam conversation with her MOTHER. They speak in Arabic. The video feed is visible over her shoulder. A mirror behind the laptop shows Aliya's face.
aliya's mother
Maysoon said you've been featured in today's Al Haram.
aliya
Yeah, they did a phone interview.
aliya's mother
I am so excited!
I wish I could be present.
aliya
I'll send you pictures and videos from the exhibition.
aliya's mother
Is he coming?
aliya
Is who coming?
A beat.
Of course, he is!
Mom, come on!
aliya's mother
I won't put my bets on a man who lives in the same city as his daughter and sees her ten times in two years!
aliya
(agitated)
You say these things about each other and then behave like everything is normal - laughing and bitching like teenagers!
aliya's mother
(laughing)
That's a healthy romantic idea you have about your parents.
Vinay joins Aliya.
AlIYA'S MOTHER
Vinay, hello dear!
VINAY
Hi, Hala!
How are you?
aliya's mother
I'm ok... I'm ok.
Is grunge in again?
VINAY
(laughs)
Grunge? Well, I'm just lazy.
aliya's mother
You never sent me the animation you made.
VINAY
Oh, I'll send it to you... very soon.
aliya's mother
And have you recorded any new songs?
VINAY
Yeah, we did. I'll send them across too.
aliya's mother
And how is your Arabic?
VINAY
Er... Bambi, yalla, lahol-vilaquvat.
(Pink. Fantastic. What-the-hell!)
Aliya's mother bursts into laughter.
VinAY (CONT'D)
I'm working on it!